Author: Citynews

Fresh details have emerged on the intelligence and military operation that led to the rescue of 39 pupils and six teachers abducted from communities in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State. Security sources said the arrest of some relatives of the suspected kidnappers, including their wives and children, proved decisive in mounting pressure on the abductors before security forces stormed their hideout inside the Oyo National Park. The victims were abducted on May 15, 2026, from schools in the Ahoro-Esinle, Yawota and Alawusa communities and were rescued on Friday after spending weeks in captivity. One teacher was reportedly killed…

Fresh details have emerged on the intelligence-driven operation that led to the rescue of pupils and teachers abducted from communities in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, with security sources revealing that the arrest of relatives of the suspected kidnappers played a significant role in the operation. CityNews recall that the victims, comprising 39 pupils and seven teachers from Ahoro-Esinle, Yawota and Alawusa communities, were abducted by armed men on May 15, 2026. One of the teachers was reportedly killed while in captivity, but the remaining hostages regained their freedom on July 10 following a joint operation involving…

A faction of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) led by National Chairman Nafiu Bala Gombe has announced that it has uploaded the details of its presidential, vice-presidential and National Assembly candidates to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) portal ahead of the 2027 general elections.  Politics Nigeria understands that Nafiu disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday. However, he did not reveal the identities of the candidates whose credentials were submitted through the commission’s portal. The development comes amid growing disagreements within the opposition party over its leadership structure and preparations for the next general election. According to Nafiu,…

Minister of Works, David Umahi, has declared that he sees himself as being on the ballot in the 2027 presidential election alongside President Bola Tinubu. Umahi made the remark on Sunday while inspecting an ongoing road project. The minister said his political future is closely tied to that of the President, stressing that Tinubu’s re-election would ensure the completion of major infrastructure projects currently being executed across the country. His comments come amid an ongoing exchange with the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, over their records in public office. Speaking in a video circulated online,…

Presidential Candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has described the recent increase in fees for Federal Unity Colleges and the approval of a uniform ₦50,000 examination fee for WAEC and NECO candidates from 2027 as cruel and economically insensitive. Daily Trust reports that the Federal Government recently approved an upward review of the fee for Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE). The initial registration fee was N27,500. In a statement on June 18, Adeniji Ibrahim, Director of Senior Secondary Education in the Ministry of Education, said the decision stemmed from a meeting between examination bodies and the Minister…

The presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has picked his running mate. CityNews Nigeria gathered that Makinde picked Ibrahim Adamu Bala as his vice presidential candidate. According to the upload on the portal of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Bala hails from Bauchi State. More to come…

The Federal Government has approved a new registration fee of N50,000 for candidates sitting for the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO). The new fee will take effect from the 2027 examination cycle and will apply to internal candidates in secondary schools across the country. The decision marks a significant increase in the cost of registering for the two examinations. Under the new arrangement, NECO candidates will pay N50,000 instead of the current N30,000, while WAEC candidates will pay N50,000, up from N27,000. The approval was conveyed…

Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate Peter Obi has dismissed Works Minister Dave Umahi’s challenge to a debate, saying the minister must first become a presidential candidate before inviting him to such an engagement. Obi made the remarks during a recent interview with media entrepreneur Chude Jideonwo. The former Anambra State governor was responding to a question on whether he would accept Umahi’s challenge after criticising the state of Nigerian roads. According to Obi, the debate had already been settled because his criticism of a bad road led to repairs. “First of all, I already started the debate by standing…

The Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrosheed Akanbi, has condemned the profiling of bandits as Muslims. He asserted that bandits lacked the basic attributes that qualify an individual as a Muslim, stressing that criminals should not be identified with Islam. CityNews reports that the monarch shared his reservations in a statement issued on Saturday by his Chief Press Secretary, Ibrahim Alli, He argued that wearing a turban or bearing an Arabic name does not make anyone a follower of Islam. According to him, bandits neither observe the mandatory Islamic prayers nor exhibit the religious practices expected of Muslims. He said, “I condemn in totality…

The Presidency has questioned why former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has remained silent following the rescue of the schoolchildren and teachers kidnapped in Oyo State. CITYNEWS NIGERIA reports that armed attackers had raided three schools in the Ahoro-Esiele and Yawota communities of Oriire Local Government Area on May 15, abducting 39 students and six teachers. One teacher was killed during the initial attack, and another died in captivity. After 56 days, a joint team of security agencies rescued all the remaining hostages on Friday, arresting eight suspects and killing several others. Reacting following the rescue, Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser…